West Platte softball matches 2016 win total in 2nd week of season

For the second straight season, West Platte won its first game in a matchup with St. Pius X.

The Bluejays scored multiple runs in the top of the second, third and sixth Tuesday, Aug. 22 in Kansas City, Mo. to earn an 8-4 comeback victory. Sikoya Richard, Lea Moose and Karah Dunham had two hits apiece, while Richard and Kaitlin Larison scored two times each.

Richard, Moose and Makayla Wardlow all contributed two RBIs for West Platte.

Down 1-0 after the first inning, West Platte took the lead for good in the second. Wardlow drove in two with a two-out single to center field to cap a three-run inning. The Bluejays made it 6-1 in the third with Moose hitting a one-out triple to score Richard.

Two more runs scored in the inning on a pair of St. Pius X’s nine errors.

West Platte added two more to make it 8-3 in the sixth on RBI singles for Moose and Larison with two outs. Dunham held on to earn the win with a complete game, allowing nine hits and one walk but striking out 10.

Only one of the four runs West Platte allowed was earned due to five errors.

Plattsburg 4, West Platte 2

The Bluejays nearly broke their KCI Conference losing skid Thursday, Aug. 24 at Benner Park in Weston, Mo.

After giving up two runs in the top of the first, West Platte came back to tie it with single runs in the second and fourth, but the Tigers scored twice in the top of the seventh to hold on for the win. The Bluejays have now lost 15 straight in KCI play dating back to the first conference game of 2015.

Dunham threw a complete game for West Platte and allowed only two earned runs, while striking out seven. She didn’t issue any walks, but Plattsburg went single, sacrifice bunt, double and single to score the two runs in the seventh.

West Platte second baseman Alyssa Knox and Goodwin hit back-to-back one-out singles in the bottom of the seventh to bring the potential winning run to the plate, but Plattsburg starter Dakota Rau recorded a strikeout and popout to end the game. Rau also struck out seven, while allowing eight hits.

Sydney Sweden doubled and scored in the second on Dunham’s single to bring West Platte within 2-1. The Bluejays tied the score in the fourth on Moose’s leadoff double, and Dunham’s two-out RBI double.

Richard also doubled in the loss.

St. Joseph Lafayette 2, North Platte 1

The Panthers nearly came back but stranded the potential tying run in the top of the seventh Thursday, Aug. 24 in St. Joseph, Mo.

Jordyn Smith, a sophomore, started for North Platte and worked out of jams in the first, third and fourth before allowing a two-run home run in the fifth for Lafayette’s only runs. The Panthers didn’t hit a ball out of the infield until the seventh while making a bid to tie the score.

Ryann Smith led off with a bunt single, and junior Janell Manville followed with a bloop single into right field to put two runners on with no outs. The lone run came home on a groundball back to the pitcher that recorded the second out.

The game ended with another groundout and Manville stranded at second.

West Platte Invitational

The host Bluejays equaled their season win total from a year ago with a 2-1 showing in the round robin Saturday, Aug. 26 at Benner Park in Weston, Mo.

After an opening loss to North Kansas City, West Platte had a 9-4 win over Raytown South and an 11-0 shutout of St. Pius X to improve to 3-4 on the season after two busy early weekends. The Bluejays were 3-16 overall last year with the final victory not coming until the Class 1 District 14 opener to open the postseason.

West Platte led in all three games but couldn’t make a 1-0 advantage hold up in the opener.

Goodwin put the Bluejays ahead with a one-out RBI single in the bottom of the fifth, but she ended up stranded at second. North Kansas City allowed only five hits total, and the Hornets tied the score in the top of the seventh on two singles and an error.

North Kansas City plated two runs in the top of the ninth against Dunham, who struck out nine and allowed eight hits but took the complete game loss. West Platte had the potential winning run at the plate with one out in the bottom of the ninth but stranded Sweden (single) and Larison (walk).

Dunham earned the win in the final two games.

All four of Raytown South’s runs came in the first inning behind four of the Cardinals’ five hits in the five-inning game. Moose answered back with a three-run home run in the bottom of the first for West Platte, which went ahead for good with two in the third.

Dunham hit an RBI double, and courtesy runner Lydia Davis came home one batter later on Sweden’s single. The Bluejays added four more in the bottom of the fifth and hit the game’s time limit.

Moose (single), Dunham (single) and Hannah Kleman (single) had RBI singles for West Platte.

Dunham finished on a 10-inning scoreless streak with six shutout innings in her second victory over St. Pius X of the week. She struck out two but allowed just five hits and no walks on 57 pitches.

West Platte took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first after Richard scored on a wild pitch, and Heili followed with a two-out RBI single to make sure both walks in the inning came around to score. Dunham had an RBI double in the fifth, and Davis, again a courtesy runner, scored on Heili’s second two-out RBI single in as many at-bats. The Bluejays final seven runs came in the top of the sixth.

Heili finished 2-for-4 with four RBIs, while Wardlow and Dunham drove in two more apiece. Richard, Moose and Davis all scored twice. Moose had a leadoff triple but did not score in the third.